Suraj Budathoki: Bhutan Refugee Shares Experience

Suraj was expelled from Bhutan with his family at age 9 when that country’s government engaged in a campaign of ethnic cleansing. He went to schools in a refugee camp in Nepal and crushed rocks with a hammer to make money for his family. He came from a refugee camp in Nepal to Manchester in 2009 at age 28 as part of the United States refugee resettlement program and immediately found entry-level employment.

Suraj was a founding member of the non-profit Bhutanese Community of New Hampshire. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Holy Cross Learning Center, Manchester. He organized a successful effort in 2015 to have NH House and Senate consider and pass SCR#1 by obtaining key sponsors in both Republican and Democratic parties. He has had one op-ed published in the Union Leader and four in the Concord Monitor. He was a member of the Advisory Committee to the American Friends Service Committee. He was a member of the Employment Subcommittee of the City of Manchester’s Refugees and Immigrants Committee. Received 40 Under 40 Award from Union Leader in 2015. He was also awarded The progressive youth of 2015 by New Leaders Council.